Castleberry: A rapid responder
New tool allows school district to facilitate communication with fire, police and other key contacts in three different communities


March 28, 2007
by Jennifer Keirn
Security Director News

FORT WORTH, Texas--An emergency management tool developed in response to the Columbine shootings is being put to use in a Texas school district to facilitate communication between administrators and emergency responders.

Castleberry Independent School District, located near Fort Worth, used funds from a U.S. DOE emergency response and crisis management grant to install the Rapid Responder system developed by Prepared Response Inc. This online tool compiles a database of information for emergency responders to use during an incident at a school, including floor plans, evacuation routes and utility shut-offs.

"We've always had a very good safety program, but we needed to take it to the next level," said Rene Moore, director of student services for Castleberry ISD. "We've done many things in paper fashion, but Rapid Responder gives us access to information electronically and much more quickly."

Moore said Castleberry ISD faces a unique challenge in emergency planning -- the district straddles three different communities, requiring communication with fire, police and other key contacts from each of those areas.

"The installation preplanning process expanded our network of contacts and pulled in people who hadn't been involved before," said Moore. "Rapid Responder provides a framework to invite these folks in and get into conversations at much deeper levels."

Most school districts' emergency management plans can be found in three-ring binders, "which could be stuck in the school during an emergency so it doesn't help you much," said Gary Sabol, public relations manager for Prepared Response, Inc. The Rapid Responder system allows administrators and emergency responders to access key information online, download it to a laptop or to a USB drive.

Sabol cites a 2003 incident in which a gunman entered a Washington high school and Rapid Responder was used to evacuate 2,000 students in 20 minutes. "The gunman had barricaded himself in a science classroom and they were able to quickly find the gas shut-offs so he couldn't create an explosion," said Sabol.

But Sabol says the system was developed with an "all-hazards" approach, which could include fire, utility malfunctions or weather hazards.

That comprehensive approach is partly what made Rapid Responder an attractive choice for Castleberry ISD, whose emergency planning priorities range from gang violence to tornadoes.

"They were the only company that had everything we were looking for," said Moore. "What Prepared Response offers is really cutting-edge technology."